True
by Aomori Miki
Summary: Train, Sven, Rinslet and Eve have been working together for about two years. Things have started to improve - Train has finally let go of Saya's death, Sven and Rinslet are an item and they're living a comfortable life. But things get complicated for Train when he realizes he has feelings for Eve that go beyond friendship... So should he hide his affection for her, or be true?
1. Another Kind of Love

Chapter One

It was about five o'clock when Train woke up in a cold sweat. He'd had the nightmare again. Wiping his furrowed brow, Train quickly padded over to Sven's room. The lime-haired thirty-year-old was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his signature hat pulled over his face, like always. Train let out a sigh of relief and moved onto the next room. He paused with his hand on the dark brass doorknob. He knew this door would unavoidably creak, so he took a chance and opened it as quickly as the rusty hinges would allow.

_Screeech! _Wincing at the sudden sound, Train paused in the doorway to see if the noise had woken the girl in the room. Exhaling silently, Train ran his fingers through his auburn-colored hair. How silly of him to think that the nightmare had been true! Walking lightly on the vanilla white carpet, he made his way over to the bed.

Ah, Eve. The very definition of perfection. Her hair was a pale blonde in the darkness, but yet it still shone like a faraway star in the inky blackness of the room. Her hair fell perfectly around her oval face, and her cheeks were a cherubic pink, even in sleep. With eyelashes naturally thick and long, and her lips full and plump, she was positively gorgeous at age fourteen. Of course, Train would never tell her that. He liked her more than she thought. Mesmerized, Train couldn't tear himself away from her even when her eyes fluttered open.

"Train? What are you doing here?" Eve asked. Frowning, she pulled herself up to her elbows and rubbed her eyes. Looking into his eyes, she sighed, apparently having come to a conclusion.

"Was it the nightmare again?" she whispered. Train nodded mutely. Without a word, Eve lay back down and patted the other side of the bed. Train jumped over her and landed without a sound. Eve giggled and hugged him close. Train heard her angelic voice against his chest, muffled against his black, low-cut T-shirt.

"I swear, Train, one of these days you'll faceplant on the floor!" Train laughed and shook his head. Eve looked up and gave him a disapproving glance before raising her arms over her head and sinking into her pillow. She rolled over to face him.

"Hey, don't worry! I'm Black Cat, remember? _Mrow_!" Train swatted her playfully on the arm. Eve rolled away, laughing, but Train caught her and pulled her over gently towards him. Eve looked up at him, blinked once and smiled. Train grinned and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Eve fell asleep, there in his arms. Unconsciously, she snuggled towards him and Train was courageous enough to kiss her, softly and sweetly, on the forehead. Gazing down at Eve, Train thought, _Someday, it will be more than that. Someday it will be with another kind of love… _


	2. Clueless

Chapter Two

Eve yawned. _Hmm, I wonder what time it is,_ She thought absentmindedly. The memory of yesterday night came flooding back to her and she realized that Train was still here, against her, and that she had no clothes on. Eve blinked. _She had no clothes on!_ Looking down at herself, she made sure. Instead, what she found was, well, lady undergarments. Eve let out a breath of air. That had been too close for her taste. She had to be more careful what she wore to bed these days…

"Are you awake, Princess?" whispered Train. Eve nodded against him and looked up at his face. His yellow cat eyes were unblinking as he stared down at her with an expression Eve could only describe as complete tenderness. She broke away from Train's embrace and lay face-up on her bed, her golden locks splayed about her. She could feel Train's eyes move across her perfectly proportionate body and covered herself up with her blankets. She felt a tad exposed when she wore nothing but her lacy bra and panties but, in a way, also flattered that Train admired her figure.

Train moved closer to her and reached a hand under the covers for her shoulder. Caressing it with his thumb, he pulled her close so that their bodies were touching slightly. Eve blushed and looked down, but Train caught her chin and moved it ever so slowly up towards his handsome face. Eve closed her eyes and breathed in his heady scent. Train smelled of his usual cologne, but to Eve it was the best smell in the world. It smelled like a pine forest in a crisp mid-winter in the country. Eve's fingers found their own way towards Train's hair, and pulled him to her so that their lips were closer than ever. Eve peeked out from beneath her lids and found that Train's eyes were closed as well, and his expression was of pure ecstasy, but it seemed that he was holding back as well. At that moment, he pulled her towards him a bit harder so that their bodies entwined as one and he softly placed his lips on Eve's.

_A few months later_

We were at the breakfast table.

"Sven, can you pass the milk, please?" Train asked, with his mouth full of hot toast. Sven rolled his eyes and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"This is your third bottle! Lighten up a bit, buddy – it might backfire on you someday." Train frowned at this and shook his head fiercely.

"I'm a cat, remember? I _like_ milk, smart one." Train mumbled, but he didn't protest at Sven's decision. After all, Sven was the supposed "adult" here. He eyed me and my nearly empty plate.

"Some more toast, Princess? Or maybe some cereal – let's see if we have any Rice Krispies left…" Sven rummaged through the cupboard for a seemingly endless amount of time, mumbling. Finally, he appeared to have found the cereal he was looking for. His face was out of the cupboard, and he let out a satisfied sigh.

"Ah, there it is! Here you go, and I'll go get you a spoon…" Sven shoved the box of cereal at me, and gestured for the milk to be poured into the bowl. I did so, put some cereal in and reached out for the spoon he handed me. Nodding my thanks, I dug in. Sven chuckled at my eagerness, and then we heard a very loud yawn attract our attention.

Rinslet was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, her violet locks messily outlining her face. She wore her favorite robe loosely against herself. Realizing we were staring, she looked at us with heavy-lidded eyes. I was the first one who spoke.

"Good morning, Rinslet! Would you like some breakfast?" Rinslet eyed me and nodded. Strutting over with confidence, she pulled out a chair and waited to be served. Sven gave her a kiss on the cheek and Rinslet brightened a little. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she straightened herself up.

"Hey Rins, how'd you sleep?" Train inquired. In answer, Rins (the nickname Train had officially given Rinslet) shrugged, licked her lips and turned away. Train blinked, bewildered by her response. Sven and I met eyes and smiled. Train was very amusing when he was confused. Unaware of us watching his every move, Train cocked his head, frowned and went back to lapping at his milk. I finally let out a giggle – multiple, actually. My attempt at holding myself together was definitely not working.

"What's so funny, Princess?" Train questioned. I shook my head, and hid my face behind my hair. I couldn't even try and hold back when I was looking him in the eye. Sven laughed loudly.

"Train, she shrugged, and you didn't get the message. It just means, _Alright, I guess. Where's my breakfast?_ It's not rocket science to figure that one out, pal. Man, you're one clueless cat."


	3. Train, Winks and Love

Chapter Three

After Rinslet had eaten her breakfast, we all went upstairs to dress. Since I put everything in the dishwasher, I was the last to leave. Or so I thought. Now Train was the one leaning against the doorway that Rinslet had occupied a few minutes earlier. I made my way towards him – pardon me, the _door_, not _him_ – and was suddenly blocked by his hand. I bit back my urge to transform my arm into a knife and slice through his limb to get through his pathetic barricade. I turned to face him. Looking at me all the while, he took my hand in his and kissed my fingers, one by one. When he was finally done, his hands lingered on mine a while and crept all the way up to my shoulder. Before I knew it, he was kissing me with such ferocity, and yet with such longing and passion, I was left breathless.

"I know you have feelings for me, Eve." He growled. "You can't deny it." He leaned in for a kiss. Before I could do a thing, he was pushing me against the wall hard, devouring me in every way. I opened my mouth to protest, to yell for Sven or Rinslet to get him off me, but it was filled in with his tongue teasing mine. My breaths were getting shallower, and I could feel his heart racing above me. Before I knew it, I had fainted, and I felt him catch my body in his strong, capable arms.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

I could almost see him smirk. I opened my eyes to confirm. "You're awake, I see." Sitting up as quickly as I was able, I smoothed the nightdress I had put on before breakfast. Nodding sharply, I turned away from him and started braiding my hair. The silence that followed was soon disturbed by Rinslet almost breaking down the door.

"Evekat! You're awake!" As Rinslet started walking towards me, I quickly took in her… revealing attire.

Today she had decided that she was going for the "rebel" look. With a tight black shirt with "REBL" in red spray paint, a loose red miniskirt with chains coming from the pockets and sleek combat boots studded with rhinestones, I don't think she could have been any more of a "REBL".

"What did Train do to you, Eve? That little rascal…" She crooned. Shooting a dirty look at Train, she took up the task of braiding my hair for me. At that moment, I took a chance and stuck my tongue out at Train. Sure, it was _very _immature, but it was the best I could do at the moment. In return, I got a cute, quick wink from Train. My goodness, now that I noticed it, Train really was a looker... Train directed his gaze at Rinslet, and said laughingly,

"She's a fainter, that one is." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Stupid Train. Stupid winks. Stupid love.


	4. Wanted

Chapter Four

After my hair was put in a long braid with wildflowers braided through it (courtesy of Train) and I was dressed in a gothic-style, knee-high light pink dress with lace on the bottom and three-quarter length sleeves, ("It looks so cute on you, Evekat!") Sven suggested that we take a drive to the local police station to see if there was any good bounty money for us to snatch. Rinslet said she had to redo her make-up, because it was smudged. Train snorted.

"Oh, really? It doesn't look smudged to me. You did it fifteen minutes ago!" Rinslet rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and muttered something about guys not understanding the intricacies of feminine necessities to look attractive. I interrupted and immediately transferred my voice into honey-sweet mode – sweet enough to win anyone over, especially Train.

"Your make-up is perfectly fine, Rinslet. I think Sven is right, we should check the police station, or maybe there are signs around the city for bounty money. Wouldn't you agree, Train?" I spotted Sven and Rinslet nodding out of the corner of my eye, but who I was really focusing on was Train. As I expected, he was nodding like a bobble head in no time. I smiled and headed to the door. But when I realized the rest of them weren't following my lead, I turned around and frowned.

"Sven, toss me the keys, please."

_Clink, clack. _

"Thank you."

"Well, are you coming or not?!"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Stop, stop! Right here, Sven." Train glared at Sven as he barely slowed, so Rinslet tried her hand at convincing him instead. She put her red nails on Sven's shoulder, and lilted,

"Svenny-baby, why don't we stop here for a second? C'mon, S…" We were stunned at how fast Sven stopped the car. As the machine jerked to a stop, we caught Rinslet smiling at him and Sven ripping off his hat and licking his lips hungrily. I got a wink from Rinslet and got out of that car so quickly, I stumbled. Obviously, Train waited until I got a very close view of the sidewalk to lift me up and pull me to him. I pushed him away easily, and walked the rest of the way back to the police station.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aoi and Tsutomu had been working at the same police station together for over seventeen years. As you would readily guess, they had gotten sick of each other long ago. Their manager, Masato Hariyuki, would rarely be at the police station, so the two of them usually had the place to themselves. Now, in this part of town, nothing ever happened. That is what made their job so easy.

Now, you might ask, how did they entertain themselves with all of this free time? Eventually staring at a corkboard full of posters reading "Don't drink and drive," "Cello for Sale," and others of the like would get boring, wouldn't you think? Well, at the moment, they were entertaining themselves with a very fierce match of Throw Darts at The Corkboard.

You see, the few spaces that the posters weren't occupying were very small. That's what made throwing darts at the corkboard so much fun. The catch was, you couldn't throw the darts at the posters – only at the corkboard. This was quite difficult, since the desk where the two of them sat was quite a ways away from the corkboard. The only rule was, you couldn't go around the desk to throw. Right now, it was Tsutomu's turn.

"No pressure, Tsu! You got this," Aoi said just as Tsutomu was going to throw the dart. Tsutomu glared at Aoi, and took aim between a poster saying "Cheap Window Cleaning" and an advertisement for baby's reusable diapers. _Ew_, he thought. _Wouldn't it be filled with $h!t? _Tsutomu threw the dart and waited for it to land in between the two posters. Would it? Tsutomu gripped the closed case of thirty darts and hoped for the best. _Come on, come on_, he thought. And then…

_Clang, __ding, __ding, __ding_

"Hello there, gents! Playing a game of darts? Nice. Pass me one there… Tsutomu." Train squinted as he read the small black lettering on Tsutomu's nametag. Tsutomu swallowed his anger at throwing his own dart much too high and into another poster, completely off target, and handed Train a red dart. Tsutomu remembered that his own had been blue. I went up on my tiptoes and whispered into Train's ear.

"Train, weren't we supposed to be looking for bounty money?" Train ignored me and threw the dart. It made a perfect arc in the air and landed on another dart. A blue one. Aoi (I had read the nametag) clapped slowly five times and stood.

"Good shot. Tsutomu here threw that blue dart. So, stranger, what brings you here?" Train smiled good naturedly, and in the blink of an eye, he had both of the men grabbed by the neck, and he definitely did not look good natured. He looked at Tsutomu and then at Aoi and back at Tsutomu.

"Do you work for Chronos?"he whispered. Aoi choked out what sounded like a "no," but Tsutomu stayed silent. Train let Aoi go, and then his eyes locked on Tsutomu's neck. He gestured at the man's neck with his chin and rasped,

"Let me see your neck." Tsutomu's shaking hands brought down the collar of his police uniform for Train to inspect it.

"Other side." Tsutomu's head flipped to the other side. Train sighed, as Tsutomu's neck bore no signs of a tattoo. I turned away as Train mumbled the routine of saying that Aoi and Tsutomu were to tell no one that he had been here. Wandering over to the corkboard close to the door, I noticed something odd. Gasping, I called hoarsely for Train. As he sprinted over, I spoke quietly, my voice cracking on the last word.

"When you threw that dart… it landed on another blue dart, and that dart was on a poster. It's not just any poster, Train. It's a wanted poster, and it's a poster of me." 


	5. Adam and Eve

Chapter Five

I was shocked.

All this time, I had thought that faking my own death a couple of years before had solved everything. It had been Train's idea.

We had gone to an abandoned computer warehouse, where laptops sat on tables, line after line after line. I was terrified of something going wrong, but Rinslet reassured me that our charade would work. Sven had also made sure that a certain someone (whose name I won't mention, for security purposes) followed us there. I "tripped" over a computer wire and "accidentally" landed into an unfinished computer screen. I was "electrocuted," my limbs were "burnt to crisps," and my remains had never been found. It was so dark, that it was impossible for anyone that wasn't close to know I had faked it.

But someone had been close, and they had seen exactly what had happened. Someone knew that I was still alive. Someone knew that I had _faked my death_. And that someone was very, very close.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Only after we were in the car and driving back home did I notice that Train had my poster. He tried to hide it, but it was too late. I had already seen. I held out my hand, and Train reluctantly handed me the poster, and another one underneath. The first one said

WANTED

(Picture of Me)

EVE

Description: Blonde hair, pink eyes, 133 cm height.

Age: 14

Sex: Female

REWARD, ALIVE AND UNHARMED: $30,000

I felt Rinslet's hand on my back, and I realized I wasn't breathing. I let out the breath I had been holding and squeezed my eyes shut. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep in Rinslet's arms, to the bouncing of the car. And then, I dreamt.

_The first thing I noticed was the grass._

_It was the kind of grass that was a deep, rich green, and you thought it would last forever. The grass was soft and had a sprinkling of dew on it, and it was squishy and felt good in between my toes. I laughed and looked up at the periwinkle blue sky. I don't know how to describe it, I thought. Perfect. I smiled. That was the word. Perfect. _

_My eyes are closed, and I let myself fall into the grass, trusting that when I fall, the blades of grass underfoot would catch me. I heard the wind whistling in my ears, and too soon, it was over. Standing, I took in my surroundings for the first time. _

_I realized I was near a stream. It sounded very close, just through the brush to my right. The leaves on the tree at my left rustled. A baby bird emerged, flying for the first time since winter. My long, strapless ankle-length dress matched its frost-white wings and small body. Just then, the brush to my right shook and a boy emerged. _

_A boy? No, this was a man. A tall, handsome man, dressed all in white, so blindingly white it was almost blue. He was barefoot, as was I, and had blonde hair and magenta eyes. In a blink of an eye, he was in front of me, looking down slightly and smiling. _

_Unconsciously, I put my hands around his neck and pulled him towards me so fiercely that I fell and he fell on top of me. He chuckled and spoke softly into my ear, and I shivered in delight. _

"_Eve, Eve… Oh Eve, I want to make sweet love to you. I've waited so long! Don't make me wait any longer…" _

_I felt like I had known him before. We were lovers, and we were ready. In a flash, his shirt was on the ground, and I couldn't help but admire his chiseled chest. His eyes wandered the length of my body, so I tugged my dress off slowly just to tease, watching him all the while. He winked. I blushed profusely in response. _

"_My darling, you're beautiful. I'm the luckiest man in the world…" He murmured while he kissed my lips. These kisses were so gentle and loving, nothing like Train's hard, fierce ones. This is how a gentleman kisses, I thought as the man on top of me moved down to my neck, and then my breasts._

_Train! I have to get out of here. I know exactly what's happening – how could I be so stupid?!_

_I stalled. _

"_What's your name, anyway? You seem to have experience…" I tried to laugh, but it came out haltingly. _

"_Adam," he answered. "Your soul mate." Terrified, I kicked him off of me and put on my dress. He let me go. "Why are you scared? We belong together. Remember? Adam and Eve." _

_He pulled his shirt back on._

"_Adam and Eve…"_

_His figure disappeared in the trees, away from the clearing. The last thing I saw were his eyes, just like my own._

_He was gone, but his voice… was still there. His voice bore deep into my heart, etching the words he would say, over and over…_

"_Adam and Eve…" _

"_Adam and Eve…"_

"_Adam and Eve…" _


	6. You Have a Visitor

Chapter Six

The household was in distress. After I had woken up from what I had considered a nightmare, we had already arrived home and Rinslet was crying. Sven had been the first one that noticed I was awake. Well, obviously – he had been keeping an eye on me for over an hour. As Sven leaned over me, the smoke from his recently lighted cigarette obstructed my view of the outside world an also made me cough. Sven's hand was immediately slicing through the smoke at the sound of my unladylike hacking. My view was cleared, and I was helped to my feet and sat down on a chair where the questioning began.

"Evekat! You scared us. What were you dreaming about? – you were screaming!" cried a tearful Rinslet, her usually tidy locks a plastered, tangled mess. Sven just kissed me on the cheek and then held his face in his hands, muttering something along the lines of "Thank God…" The one person I didn't see anywhere was Train. Rinslet caught my searching glances and rolled her eyes, rubbing her tear-stained cheeks. Sniffling, she said almost inaudibly,

"He's in his room." I nodded my thanks and stood up, leaving Sven and Rinslet in my room, with both of them targeting me with disapproving stares. Ignoring their doubtfulness, I ran to Train's room, and found the door closed. I was about to turn back when I stopped abruptly, my dress swishing from the sudden movement. No. Train needed me. I raised my fist and knocked smartly, once, twice, pause, and once more. The secret knock hadn't worked, so instead I turned the knob. It didn't budge. I smiled, excited to use my lockpick trick for the first time. Morphing my finger into a thin silver point, I stuck it in and before long, the door clicked open quietly. I would be sneaky, I told myself. Quiet.

His room messy, to say the least.

Well, it had always been a mess, with pants, shirts, dirty plates, iPods, crumpled paper and empty bottles of milk strewn everywhere, Train's excuse for a room could definitely use some spring cleaning. Everyone had told him to organize it, but Train had stayed strong and protested that it was his "man cave." Eventually, everyone had given up on persuading him otherwise.

I tentatively tiptoed through the landscape of clothing on the floor. Before I knew it, though, I had tripped on a wayward tee and landed with a thud on the carpet. So much for sneaking. Train was in front of me in an instant, offering me a hand with a side of frown.

"Let me help you up, Princess, you took quite a fall there. What are you doing here?" Train lifted me up into his arms and set me down gently on the bed. I sighed and looked down at my hands. A finger lifted up my chin and caressed my cheek. "Tell me," he purred. "Tell me everything." So I did.

Sven and Rinslet had been waiting a long time for me to come back, so before long, they had joined us in Train's room. Sven sat intently on Train's desk placed in the opposite corner of the room, and Rinslet sat cross-legged beside me, apparently recovered, filing her nails. I had explained everything to the best of my ability, right up to the end of my dream, and the uncanny similarity between Adam and I.

"It all makes sense now. Adam found us, and now he wants to capture me." My voice was not my own – it was too calm for the flurry of emotions I was feeling inside. Rinslet shook her head, still very much concentrated on her left pointer finger. Sven ran his fingers through his hair and nervously fiddled with his eye patch, while Train clenched his fists at his sides, narrowing his eyes and hissing ferociously. I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged myself. It was silent for a few moments but then we heard a knocking at the front door.

Everyone moved into action; Sven pulled his gun out and kneeled under the window, listening. Rinslet tossed Sven her binoculars silently and pulled a butterfly knife from her combat boot, standing guard at the door. Train stocked up on ammo for his gun, which was always hidden but always on him. I was the only one that stayed still on the bed, listening.

We were all nervous, and Train was the one who told me what to do in a surprisingly calm manner. Whispering, he gave me instructions.

"Listen, Eve. You're going to go downstairs – no, don't look at me like that – you're going to go down there and open the door." As if on cue, a more insistent knocking was heard, and I glanced at the door to Train's room warily. "Don't go as yourself, Princess." he licked his lips. "Protect yourself and come back alive, you hear me?" He grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. Turning me around, he led me to the door, where Rinslet gave me a short black dress of hers to wear with a pair of slippers and some black lacy gloves. Lastly, she handed me a black rose.

"Put this in your hair," she whispered. I nodded, she offered me a strained smile and closed the door quietly. I changed quickly, putting the black rose in my hair last. I breathed deeply. Then, I willed myself to change into another person. I visualized a normal teenager, with dark red hair, full lips and a flirty manner. Before long, I felt the familiar buzzing sensation and I knew I was changing into my visualization. Running down the hall to the familiar staircase, I managed to glance at myself in the mirror, and smiled at the results. Perfect. Now I just had to act the part.

The doorknob was in my hand in moments. I hesitated, but then pushed my fears aside.

This was necessary. Train, Sven and Rinslet were depending on me.

I put on my best alluring smile and opened the door.


	7. Garden of Evil

Chapter Seven

Sure, it was uncanny how similar they were, but it definitely couldn't be him. I mean, it was impossible, right? The blonde hair, muscular frame and pink eyes were the same, but honestly, Adam never could have gotten here that quickly.

And yet here he is, strikingly similar, standing not two feet away from me, while I am struck speechless. I attempt to collect myself and am reminded that I'm not in my true form – I'm a long haired, redheaded teen that's just looking to flirt. Somehow, with his stare boring into me like that, I can't convince myself. Adam gives me my cue to begin acting like the marionette I am.

"Hello, sweetheart. Anybody home?" He winks and I blush furiously while winding a strand of ruby hair around my finger, aiming my gaze downwards. I respond, looking up at him again and raising a delicate eyebrow.

"Who's asking?" I respond coquettishly. Adam chuckles and leans on the doorframe, closing in on me, I notice. Flustered, I try to keep up my façade, but in vain. He's got me, I can tell.

I can't hide anything from those rosy eyes, those eyes that stare into me and can predict my every move with ease. Before long, I felt the familiar sense of realization crack down hard on my conscience.

Adam has found me, and probably intends to kill me.

No, I think, staring into his eyes again. No, not those eyes that both threaten and adore. He doesn't want to kill me, he cares about me too much. He intends to kill Sven, Rinslet and…

Train?

The sudden realization dawns on me, and then everything goes black.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sometimes, people dream to escape from the real world for a time, to make their fantasies come true in a world designed for their pleasure and contentment. Then again, I wasn't exactly what you would call a "person," was I? Therefore, dreams were insignificant to me. Because I really had no hopes or dreams like everyone else, and I rarely dreamt. When I did, it was all computer generated, based on someone else's ambitions, but not my own. Never my own.

The man who had created me was curious. One of my earliest memories was this one.

"_The process is almost complete."_

"_How much longer?" an impatient voice demanded. A pause, filled with the _click, clack_ of computer keys. The man at the computer answered vaguely. _

"_A matter of seconds, sir. She should be able to hear us now." _

"_Really? That's extraordinary…" The man's voice sounded interested, and very pleased. Muffled footsteps came closer, stopping abruptly a few feet away. A woman's voice came from everywhere at once. _

"_Project: NanoRobotics is complete. Checking functions." I was aware that my eyes had been opened, a light shining into them, one at a time. The light disappeared and I was faced with a life-like mannequin holding a gun to my head. I aimed my eyes at the defenseless ragdoll, red lasers disintegrating him. I nimbly stepped over a pile of ash that had been the mannequin not five seconds earlier. _

_Pleased, my lips lifted upwards and parted, exposing my teeth, my canines peeking over my lips, vampire-like. The rotund man that had been watching from the sidelines led me to a chair, gesturing for me to sit. I obeyed, still smiling. The man scratched his chin thoughtfully, seemingly thinking. Finally, after a matter of moments, he snapped his fingers, I was led to a small bed and my eyes were asked to be closed. I obeyed, ever faithful. Multiple wires were attached to my head, and an electric shock ran through my body, causing it to "sleep." That was the first time I dreamt._

To describe that dream is to describe a colorful sunrise to a blind man. Nearly impossible. So I settle for this – it was disconcerting. I shake my head do dispel the thought of that dream, and instead fall into a fitful sleep, silently begging for no dreams.

_I am back in the Garden. It's beautiful as ever, the same as I left it except for one exception. _

_Adam is absent. _

_I look around uneasily, sensing something amiss. Of course, everything is the same. Gathering my white-as-snow dress, I run to the stream, the cool grass swishing behind me. As I get closer and closer to the stream, pushing away hanging willow branches, I can already tell that I came to the wrong place. Adam is not here. I let go of my dress and just let it flutter in the wind. Its paleness is accented by the lush grass underfoot. _

_Since there is nothing else to do, I sit on the riverbank, letting the cool water lick my feet, going all the way up to my ankles. Giggling, I notice some fish, rubbing their glossy scales on the underside of my foot. They are off soon, so I dry my wet feet and quickly head to the clearing again, to check if Adam has made his entrance. _

_He hasn't, of course. It was foolish of me to expect him to come, I scold myself. There's no use in pouting. I might as well just relax – after all, Adam's presence has always put me on edge. He's so intense that I'm holding my breath whenever he does something and flinch when he says something. _

_Nothing like being with Train. With Train, I feel like we _belong _together, and he always makes me laugh. Black Cat is the cutest cat I know, and he's so loyal to everyone. It hurts me to see him mourn over Saya, but he's gotten better, and I'm happy for him. He's my best friend… and maybe something more. _

_Of course, Adam has to pick that _exact _moment to approach me – without his shirt on, I might add. If I had a heart, it would be beating in my chest so hard, I could be sure that Adam could hear it. He's so gorgeous, he takes my breath away. _

"_Adam," I manage to squeak out. "W-where were you?" I curse myself for stuttering. Adam takes no notice. _

"_That doesn't matter now." He purrs, taking my face in both of his hands, his eyes staring into mine searchingly. I frown. _

"_What's wrong?" Sitting up, I look at him worriedly, but I notice that he doesn't meet my gaze. Looking at something in the distance, he sighs deeply. Eyeing me, he comes so close to my face that his piney scent overwhelms me and I close my eyes, smiling. _Wait,_ I think. _Piney scent…

Train! _My brain instantly makes the connection, and I force my eyes to snap open. Instead, reluctantly, sleepily, I open them. Unconsciously, I play my part, bringing Adam's face close to mine. He seems surprised, but attempts to hide his feelings. I place my lips on his, knowing that's what he wants. Adam senses my reluctance but doesn't pull back. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot his eyes closed and a look of intense desire takes over his face. I try and pull away, but he holds me close, not wanting the moment to end. I pull away strongly this time, with more force, and resist the desire to wipe my lips with the back of my hand. The god in front of me has to believe that I _wanted _that kiss, that I _needed _it. He smiles at me approvingly, and I instantly regret kissing him. Jerk._

_My thoughts travel to Train, wishing that I had kissed him like that instead of this player that conned me into loving him. The way I loved Train was real, deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky. Wait, what was I thinking? Did I really love Train that much? As more than a friend? Oh, the push and pull of love… The thought was dizzying, so instead I stayed focused at the task at hand. _

_Adam's face had turned hard as stone. I tried a smile, but I definitely couldn't win him over with just that this time._

_I was so focused on trying to win him over that it wasn't until later that I realized what was happening. The lush green grass beneath me was the first to go. Sure, it stayed green but instead of keeping cropped close to the ground, wayward, twisted vines were born from multiple strands of grass braided together and they coiled around my ankles, holding tightly. _

_The multiple bushes that signaled the end of the clearing transformed into barbed wire that snapped out viciously at anyone who dared get close. Those bushes had been so charming before, trimmed to perfection, but still enough to make them appear naturally pretty. _

_The wonderful willow trees hanging over the stream had been beautiful, the beloved part of the Garden, but now their branches and thick, steady trunks became black as death, and every leaf transformed into a slice of steel, deadly to the touch. _

_A scream caught in my throat._

_I understood now. This place, this Garden of Eden represented Adam. On the outside he was a god, the prince of everyone's hearts, but on the inside, he was like a black, vicious spider, entangling everyone unwise enough to adore him in his web of lies. And if I was his soul mate, as the Bible specified, then I was like that too. I almost cried at this. No, no, no. This wasn't me. I was pure, sweet, innocent Eve, Sven's Princess, Rinslet's Evekat and Train's Evening. Adam was a psychotic, mad, enraged villain whose only target was to kill Train and keep me prisoner forever in his Garden of Evil. _

When I wake up, I'm gasping, and I am surrounded by darkness.

It's that kind that seems like it has a life of its own, the black swirling, trapping you in its blindness. You can almost feel the thickness, _touch_ it, and it drowns you like a deadly quicksand made up of nightmares. It watches your every move with cruel eyes of its own, making your fears come to life.

I felt suffocated, covered in the stuff up to my throat, but I knew this was Adam's intention, so I tried my best to push the thought away.

As my eyes adjusted, I could make out certain features of the room.

There was a cot backed up against a wall, identical to my own. Many others were lined up beside each other, row after row after row, in a never ending line that was eventually swallowed up by the inky black. They seemed like hospital beds, almost, though instead of holding patients struggling for life, the figures under the milky white blankets were still. I could sense no breath of life from any of the cots, and the only thing that was heard throughout the huge room was the sound of my own labored breathing.

At that moment, I couldn't muster up the courage to lift the sheets and look at all of the people Adam had killed in his rampage for power. The pain, hatred, amazement and shock inside me were too great.

Pain, because someone as ethereal and admired as Adam had used his powers for evil.

Hatred that he was a fraud and a liar.

Amazement that he had the will to do all of this to others.

And finally…

Shock that he had no conscience.

He had so much blood on his hands, and yet he took no notice of it. It was disgusting. Sure, you might think me full of myself, for I too had killed before. But I had reason to – there are people out there that deserve to die more than anyone else, and yet they live. There are people out there that deserve to live more than anyone else, and yet they die. My role in this world is to keep those people deserving to be alive, alive. And my other one? To kill those that deserve to die. That's what sweeping is all about.

The real Adam, the cruel Adam, not the kind one I knew, brought tears to my eyes. Why would he do this? Sobs wracked my body, and I sat there for a very long time, crying for Adam, even though deep down, I knew he didn't deserve my sympathy. I couldn't stop myself, though. I cried anyway.

Finally, after my tears had subsided, my gaze locked on the cot nearest to me. A small voice inside me whispered, _Maybe he didn't kill after all. Maybe these bodies are just sleeping. _I smiled at the tiny flicker of hope inside of me, appreciating its presence. _Look, _it demanded. _Just one peek. _I couldn't help myself – holding my breath and closing my eyes, I pulled back the soft white fabric. My eyes begged me to keep them closed, to not look at the body there. I obeyed, but my curious fingers travelled down the rough pillow until they met something hard and cold. My eyebrows frowned and I pursed my lips, eyes still closed.

_Metal?_

Before I could think, my eyes snapped open and I took in the sight in front of me, suppressing a sigh of relief and at the same time, a scream.

Adam wasn't a demon after all.

Not exactly, anyway.

He hadn't killed.

The… _thing, _lying on the cot… I couldn't even describe it…

Standing up hurriedly, I ran to the next cot and the next, tears streaming down my face at the sight of these lifeless shells, ripping blanket after blanket after blanket in a frenzy of disbelief.

Finally, I stopped and came back to the first cot, the one right beside mine. These were the perfect metal people, I thought, the future of the human race. There were so many of them, thousands, that there was no doubt in my mind what his plan was.

Adam was going to build an army of robots.

Kneeling down beside the cot holding the first of them, I held my face in my hands, knowing that we were doomed if Adam followed through with his plan. He would kill Sven and Rinslet, no doubt, and then bring Train here and make me watch him die. Even the thought was too painful to bear.

The silence in the huge room was deafening, ringing louder and louder. I climbed back in my cot, covered myself with the thin blanket, and cried.

_Train… _I thought to myself before sleep took over.

_Train…_

_I love you. _

**OOOH, ADAM'S JEALOUS~! Hope you liked the chapter, and I promise to update sooner. I'll explain in the next chapter. Please R&R if you liked it! **

**~Aomori Miki~ **


	8. A Twisted Tale of Love

Chapter Eight 

Traveling away from the cots, stepping up a steep staircase, walking down a dimly lit hallway, we find a door. A heavy metal door, three feet thick, and behind it sits Adam. His Majesty, if he even deserves the title, sits hunched on his cheap plastic throne facing his employee. Steepled fingers rest lightly on his sculpted nose, and his usually handsome features are molded into a mask of concentration. Finally, after a long moment, Adam snaps open his bloodred eyes and the crease between his eyebrows flattens out. His employee - very, dreadfully nervous he was and is – attempts a small smile with minimal results. Seeing that he is not winning him over, the man clears his throat and collects himself. Adam asks again, for the second time in a minute.

"When will they be ready?"

"I don't know, sir."

"That's not an answer." He responds quietly, not making eye contact, his light hair falling over his features, hiding them from view. It appears that Adam is just playful, but Junichi knows better than this. A throbbing of a vein on Adam's plane of a forehead proves him right. Quickly, Jun retraces his steps and attempts to offer a better answer while his hands worriedly fidget with his tie.

"You see, we must perform the trials on them, sir, as the manual says, sir. It states that we must prepare them to do the deed, sir, and those tests must be p-performed on every robot, sir." He holds his breath and waits for Adam's response. An unperceivable nod comes from the blonde.

"Don't perform the tests, Junichi." The man widens his eyes, and protests.

"Sir, we must perform the te - "

Adam holds up a hand and his face turns grotesquely ugly. Junichi unwillingly takes a step back and breaks eye contact.

"They will be ready in three days." Adam nods his head and leads Jun out, slamming the door behind him. Rubbing his hands together, he smiles grimly. Now he can finally get back to his work, and is rudely interrupted by a certain someone singing sweetly. Can you guess? Adam runs to the window and looks down at the rows and rows of cots. There, like a single speck of light in a world filled with darkness, twirls his Dark Angel.

"_Past all thought of right or wrong_

_One final question – _

_How long should we two wait until we're one?_

_When will the blood begin to race,_

_The sleeping bud burst into bloom,_

_When will the flames at last _

_consume_

_us?..."_

Adam softly sang,

"_Say you'll share with me -"_

Eve quickly whipped around and saw Adam watching her. Frozen for a moment, Adam quickly regained his composure and spoke the next words.

"_One love, one lifetime." _

Eve shook her head and her angel-white wings shot out of her dark dress. Then, flapping her way to where Adam's window was, she screamed at him.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Never! I belong to -" I paused here, deciding it was not wise to say his name in front of Adam. Adam shattered the pane of glass separating us with inhuman strength and replied,

"Who? To me now, you wretched girl! You'll never see your beloved Black Cat again!" He grabbed me by the neck and roughly pushed me into the room, where my wings disappeared into my back again. There I lay among the shattered glass, the remnants of my past and the unforgiving edges of my future. This time, I did not let myself cry for all I had lost and never gain. I held those tears back, even though it was almost impossible. Though the shards of glass did not pierce my skin as they would have pierced human flesh, they cut me deep. I turned and stood up, facing Adam and began.

One of my many gifts was that I could imitate human emotions perfectly on command. Cue the tears! "How could you?" I sniffled for effect and expected Adam's next sneer.

"He's an ignorant man who doesn't deserve anyone to love him, the dirty rat. You belong to me now." Adam smiled at the thought, and I resisted the urge to gag.

"I wasn't talking about Train, you idiot." I turned away from him, hunched my shoulders and wiped a tear from my eye. This confused him and he slipped his hand around my waist. Ugh – perverted freak.

"You meant… me?" His voice softened a little on the last word, and his heart with it. I whipped around and searched for his lips. Finding them, I made the connection and opened my mouth. Then, our lips barely touching, I breathed heavily, pretending to have lost my breath. Adam smiled at this reaction.

"I took your breath away," he murmured quietly, smiling against my mouth. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck. I could do this, I knew I could, if I could imagine it was Train. It worked pretty well, if I may say so myself. A passionate kiss was shared between us, and I looked up at him to see if he had felt it too. Adam was staring back, grinning crookedly, triumph written all over his stupid face.

Time for the fun part, the real me. Strands of my hair turned into tiny knives and attacked at Adam's chest. Each one twisted right, then left, and right again. Adam could feel the pain – I could tell by his tortured screams.

"There's no one to save you, little Prince."

I was very aware of the soundproof walls, because while I was facing one, crying my eyes out, I knocked lightly on it and could tell that it was soundproof. Adam didn't know who the hell he was dealing with. This brought a smile to my face.

I had had enough of the torture. Blood (fake, of course) dripped to the ground, thick, warm, sticky and fresh. Adam crumpled to the floor and I stood over him, lying down on him, whispering in his ear.

"Twisted, no? If this were a book, guess what it would be called, sweetheart?" I kissed him passionately and then slapped his face. Hard. I giggled coquettishly, wrapping a strand of my normal blonde hair around my finger.

"Rough Love. No, even better!" I stabbed my arm turned into a knife into his chest. All of his other tiny wounds from my deadly hair had already healed. Stupid metabolism. This shot would take a little more time. Adam croaked hoarsely and tried to put his hands around my neck and choke me. I pushed his hands swiftly aside and scolded him.

"No, no, bad Adam. Let me finish! It's rude to interrupt." I wagged a finger at him.

"This book would be called…" I paused for effect. Adam rolled his eyes and said,

"Showoff. Let me go – now – I'm gonna – kill Train, stupid Black Cat, he deserves to die – let me GO - "

"Wrong! I'll tell you what the novel's called, Prince." I crowed. Leaning down, I whispered it in his ear.

"A Twisted Tale of Love." I spat the last word, stood up, and ran.

**Oops! Sorry, guys – I forgot to explain why Adam's so jealous. Next chapter, I promise! **

**Oh, I almost forgot… Thank You new followers – you know who you are. Thankyouthankyouthankyouuuuu ! Also to my other loyal readers. You guys are the best! **

**PLEASE R&R! Constructive criticism is welcome. **

**~Aomori Miki**


	9. Emote Software 30

It was amazing that one could feel so free after such a small, insignificant action. A weight that I never knew I had had been lifted and I felt better than I ever had before. Relief, I thought. Yes, that was the word. Relief flooded by body like a wash of pattering rain after a long, painful drought. My body welcomed the release gratefully, and I almost sank to the floor in exhaustion. It had been a while since I had actually physically rested and somewhat restored myself. Too busy thinking about Adam and my revenge, I had pushed myself to my limits and beyond. It was time to rest.

I soon found a safe corner in Adam's hideout where it was safe and I could see any guards heading towards me easily. The corner was dark, and my only source of light was from a flickering, unsure light-bulb in the middle of the hallway to my left. Though my limbs were relaxing, my brain was at full speed, and my eyes were wary of any movement. All of a sudden, organizing my thoughts seemed like a very difficult task. Instead, I let words fill my brain, dissolving out of sight to put a new idea in the spotlight. Time and time again, the same thought would claim the stage. I tried to think different thoughts, but it was impossible in my exhausted state. Finally, I gave up and let the burning question take over my brain. I could put it in many different forms, but it was the same question, in the end.

Had he survived?

Had I killed him?

What had I done?

An unfamiliar sensation took over. Was that... doubt? I shook myself and scoffed inwardly. Eve? Doubt? In the beginning, I didn't even possess emotions such as fear or shyness or being unsure. This was the first time I had felt an uncertain twist in my stomach, my throat freezing up and completely dry. At last, it was all too much, my exhaustion, confusion, lostness. My body and my mind couldn't take it anymore. Black started taking over the corners of my field of vision as I fought to stay conscious with everything I had left.

I sank to the ground.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

He was clutching his stomach when I found him. A puddle of what looked like blood (but couldn't be, obviously) lay in several small puddles across the room. There were visible signs of a struggle, but whoever had attacked my master had obviously won. As I rushed to my master's aid, he pushed me away and hoarsely whispered, "Find the girl." I protested, because I knew some of his wounds would become fatal fast. Many were already festering, and I flinched at the ugly cuts. Standing up, I looked around the room, searching for a First Aid kit. Since my proud master had bluffed that with the security we had, no one would be able to get close to him, of course the room did not have the kit that we now so sorely needed. Inwardly, I reminded myself to put one here after all of this mess was over.

I left him laying somewhat oddly on the floor, and ran as fast as I could to my own office. It wasn't much of an office, I could tell you that much. Adam did not treat his employees well, but the pay was good, and I needed the money, as did everyone else that worked here. Work was tiring, and we would arrive home late, and leave in the morning when all the rest of the family was still asleep. Sometimes even before daybreak. Back to the office.

To call it a cubicle was putting it nicely. Most of the offices were in what some would call boiler rooms. It sure was boiling, I could tell you that. Everyone was sweating heartily by the time lunch came around. The other offices, the better ones, were large and spacious. They were warehouses compared to our tiny offices, with nice furniture and sometimes even windows! No one saw who came in or out of there, and some of my comrades even suspected no one worked there at all.

I spotted the First Aid kit, grabbed it and dashed out before perspiration would start on my brow. Everyone working there looked at me oddly, but went back to work soon enough. Whatever they did on those computers took up all of their attention, and they were too concentrated to really wonder and care about my strange behaviour. Then again, I didn't have time to explain.

The "bleeding" had somewhat stopped, and with the help of a few bandages, Adam looked as well as one could be in that state. As I helped him into his chair, I heard him muttering to himself about the army. I opened my mouth to ask him what he had meant to say, but thought better of it. If the master wasn't in the mood to talk when he was in perfectly good health, I honestly doubted that he would be now.

Taking the glass of water I offered him from the cooler by the door, I stepped back and awaited further instructions. To my surprise, the master sighed and gestured for me to leave. I did, of course. Closing the door behind me, I took a deep breath. Master wasn't usually so... meek. Shrugging my shoulders, I decided not to complain and took off down the hallway.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Thankfully, the brute was gone. Adam was alone, at last, and finally, mercifully, able to plot. Swiveling in his chair and ignoring the pain in his shoulder and stomach, Adam typed in the password and drummed his long fingers against the desk. He was out of patience and wanted to access only one file, if that demon of a girl hadn't disposed of the document already.

Cursing under his breath, Adam decided that he didn't have to tolerate this. Later, he would call one of his many workers to fix the damn computer, but right now, he had way too much on his mind. Surely, we would think, an evil genius like Adam would have everything smoothly under control , but even some people surprise us. He wasn't organized at all, and ideas littered the room. On every available surface there was paper or at least one of the six computers the blonde owned. Cracking his knuckles and wincing at the sudden pain in his chest, he took a deep breath while running his spider-like fingers through his hair. For the first time in a very long while, Adam remembered why he was on this killing spree in the first place. Surely, this story would not end with a "happily ever after..."

He despised remembering. It hurt him to think how he had hurt Eve. She was everything to him, and down deep inside, he wished that she cared about him as she cared about Train. Sometimes he even considered not killing the sweeper, but decided against it. Disposing of him would make Eve forget about the boy and love him instead. This was the one part in his seemingly flawless plan that Adam was not so sure about. He fidgeted, averting his gaze to the floor below. Adam did not like being unsure. It was one of the few feelings that made him despise putting in that damned program.

The program that Adam so deeply despised had actually been sitting in his computer drive for quite a while. It had been a scientific breakthrough in its time, but that had been a long time ago, so far back that he had to concentrate to even remember the faintest smidgen of a memory. It was called "Emote Software 3.0," though most of the scientist that had worked hard for its success nicknamed it "the Emoticon Program" for obvious purposes. Well, not so obvious for us. As we gaze deep into the mind of one of the world's greatest (and quite unknown) villains, we venture back to when they did not have what most people would like to call a soul. Then again, did they ever? This particular bad guy does, though it might not seem like it. With a soul comes many other useful things like senses, awareness and what we like to call emotions.

"Emote Software 3.0" was created a few years ago, but since Adam had so much on his mind at the moment, it seemed like a lifetime had passed before he could remember the slightest bit about it. Now that he focused on the fateful occasion, memories flooded back and drowned his mind with their suddenness. He was being pulled down by a whirlpool of his own thoughts and couldn't get out, no matter how hard he tried.

A man, he recalled. In the beginning, it had been a man. Declared by all Japan a genius, he absorbed that praise heartily and began working, putting his whole heart into the design of this revolutionary software not yet named. Long hours had been spent in front of a computer screen, and many before that planning the design. Eve had already been created, and so had himself. Both of them had been standing side by side. Adam recalled this memory as the only one that Eve had not been hostile towards him. A miracle, really. Never mind those two - they are not important at this time.

The name of the man was on the edge of Adam's memory, though he couldn't quite grasp it. After various trials of trying experiments on Eve and Adam both, the software was perfected, and Eve was the first one to try it. This program really was a miracle, you see. Before its creation, Adam and Eve were simply beings without emotions, spirits or a real life. This program made them... _human,_ so to speak.

Eve was tested on first.

"Come, Eve," her master drawled from the doorway of the laboratory. Eve blinked and directed her gaze at the man, cocking her head almost amusingly. She, of course, had been trained not to question anything her master said or ordered her, and so assumed the role of an obedient puppy and trailed after her master, not shooting a glance anywhere else but forward. That was when I heard the murmurs from inside, and cocked my head to hear better.

"... Yes, I've got it. When will she wake up, do you think?" An uncertain voice faltered.

"Soon, sir. Very soon, I'm sure of it. She can probably hear us right now."

"Yes, yes... Of course, I'm sure..."

Not soon after this odd discussion, Eve came out, beaming. Adam didn't understand at the time, he thought her face had deformed, but Eve had smiled for the first time in that laboratory. It was a beautiful smile, full of happiness and the delight of being alive and human, with real feelings and possibly, something he never got. Something he would never get, no matter how hard he tried.

In that smile, Adam saw a soul.

Finally, mercifully, he was able to escape and lay on the sand of the Real World - hard, solid earth between his fingers and under him, holding him steady by that wonderful force we call gravity. Well, concrete and wooden desk in this case, but Adam the villain was back nonetheless. Ready he was, proven by his eyes that turned darker as he concentrated on things other than memories of his dark past. This was a good sign, for when Adam's magenta eyes turned darker, the color of Train's blood, he was ready for battle. This battle would be hard fought, sorely won, but by whom? That, dear reader, we will soon find out...


	10. Who To Save

Chapter Ten

I don't know how much time had passed when I finally woke. I sat up, coughing dryly. My conception of time had… warped. It was an unfamiliar sensation, and I didn't like it one bit. Despite the discomfort of not knowing how much time I had spent here – days, months, _years_ – I was determined to find a way out. I was defenseless and alone, and somewhere in this building, Adam was plotting. The thought made me squirm. He wanted to kill Train. I stood up, leaning against the hard metal wall beside me for support. Blood flowed through my legs, giving them life again, making me ready.

I almost laughed.

Silly Eve. Blood? Flowing through my _legs_? Yeah, right. I didn't even have a circulatory system, for crying out loud. Checking for guards or any sign of life, I cautiously stepped into the wavering circle of faint light that the hesitant light-bulb in front of me emitted. My head whipped to the right, where two guards chuckled. Judging from the intonation of their voices and faint sounds, I concluded these facts:

There were two of them.

They were about thirty to thirty-two years old.

They had semi-automatic pistols on them, one each.

They didn't suspect anything and hadn't heard me. Yet.

Because in approximately thirty-six seconds, they would hear me, all right. I rolled up my dress a little bit in order to give me more flexibility and area of movement. Also, I took off my shoes silently, holding them in my hand as I walked towards the voices. Stopping, I flattened myself against the wall most shrouded in shadow, so the men couldn't see me. Then, putting a seductive smile on my face, I started walking.

As expected, both of them had their guns in their hands, in position to shoot. I faked surprise, and, dropping my shoes, pushed myself flat up against the wall, my hands up by my head. The two men put their guns back in their holsters and walked up to me.

"What are you doin' here?" One of them leaned on the wall next to me and offered me a cigarette. I took it, spinning it with my fingers but not asking for a light. The ingredients of the cigarette would counteract many of my parts. And, let's just say, it wouldn't end well.

The other man nodded at me, uninterested. He asked if I wanted a light. Instead, I licked my lips and kicked the man hard, so that he was knocked down but not quite unconscious. The other one pounced on me, and managed to get me down to the floor. I rolled over so that I was on top and snatched his gun and belt. The belts I ripped off of them tied both of them together and I left them sitting in a corner, looking helpless and vulnerable.

I looked around to see if anyone had heard the commotion. Well, commotion to me, that is. To human ears, there would barely have been a sound. Just as I was about to leave, I heard something. A buzzing sound, and it was coming from both of the men. Cocking my head, I waited until I heard it again. It sounded almost like… voices... I shook myself. _Voices coming from tied-up men? _Hesitantly, I gave them another once-over. This time, I realized something that I had missed before. _The men_, I thought.

_The men had walkie-talkies_.

I felt my eyes widen. Thank goodness I had heard them in time. Or else the person on the other end would have realized that they weren't responding, they would come here, see them tied up, and definitely know exactly where I was heading. After all, the only hallway that I could have been heading for was the one right in front of me. Snatching both of the radios from the men, I stole away into the darkness.

The question haunted me. _How would I dispose of them?_ I dismissed the thought; the answer would come to me soon, I just had to wait for it. Thankfully, mercifully, I encountered no more guards. The passage to my destination was smooth. This was exactly what I had feared. The only person that knows how I think is Adam. So he must have planned this. Well, he sure didn't plan my ambush on him, I say to myself, chuckling.

Ah, there it is! There, in the distance, that tiny pinprick of light in an ocean of darkness. I quickened my pace. The door to the outside world beckoned me. I was so close to its embrace, I could feel it. I was an arms-length away from everything I loved.

I was so close to Rinslet, I could smell her strong perfume and sweet, fruit-scented shampoo she always used. Picturing her holding me tight and whispering _you're home_ in my ear, I jogged a little bit faster.

And then there was Sven. Oh, Sven. He had been the best part of my life for so long. We'd shared more moments in my memory than I could ever count. He would have been devastated without me, I knew. _Well, Sven, I'm coming back to you_, I think.

Lastly, Train. _That rascal of a boy_, I chuckle. I surprised myself when I realized I loved him. Who could, or ever would, love someone as violent and determined (and, sometimes, even heartless) as Train? Well, someone like me, I guess. And Saya. She loved him with everything she had, and he adored her with a love so fierce it took my breath away. I could never replace Saya, but I hoped to bring comfort and love to Train's life, because he deserved it.

I had spent took much time thinking of Train, and guards had filled the doorway. I had missed my window of opportunity, and I felt disappointment and self-hatred fill me up. Then, taking a last look at the door, I slipped back into the shadows. If I couldn't save myself, I could at least save Adam's army.


End file.
